Merchandise packaging assembly



Jan. 23, 1962 R. E. PAIGE MERCHANDISE PACKAGING ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 7. 1958 Tun-nun? \QLQ 3,018,076 MERCHANDISE EACKAGENG ASSEMBLY Richard E. Paige, New York, N.Y., assignor to Ekco Products Company, tjhicago, iii, a corporation of Deiaware Filed Apr. 7, 358. fier. No. 726,374 3 Claims. (Cl. 248--37.3)

This invention relates to a merchandise package assembly featuring a display unit of collapsible hollow wall construction in combination with a stiffening member.

' It is an object of this invention to provide an improved merchandise package assembly which is attractive and neat in appearance, strong and sturdy in construction and serviceable in use, and which can be manufactured at low cost and at high production speed.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

Although the invention is illustrated in connection with its use as a merchandise package assembly for the shipment and display of a set of kitchen tools, it is to be understood that other articles may be effectively supported and displayed in the unit embodying this invention, either in the specific form shown or in other variations of the form adapting them to different types of articles. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an extended blank for forming a display unit in accordance with the preesnt invention.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a blank for forming a stiffening member with which the display unit is equipped when in use.

FIG. 3 is an expanded perspective view of the display unit and the stiffening member wherein the display unit is shown in set-up operative position and the stiffening member is shown in set-up position preparatory to insertion between the walls of the display unit.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cover adapted for enclosing the display unit.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section taken on lines 66 of FIG. 3, with parts in elevation.

A prepared blank of paperboard material of suitable strength and texture suitable for the production of a display unit representing one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a rear panel 10 and a front panel 11 and a side panel 12 to which the panels 10 and 11 are joined along spaced parallel hinge lines 13 and 14. A second side panel 15, to which the front panel 11 is joined along a hinge line 1o, is provided with a flap 17 along a hinge line 18. The dimension of the panels 10, 11, 12 and are such that when the side panel 12 and the rear panel 19 are turned about the hinge line 14 through an arc of 180 degrees so as to bring the ultimate inner faces of the panels 10 and 12 in contact with the corresponding faces of the panels 11 and 15, the edge of rear panel 10 opposite the edge thereof joined to side panel 12 is substantially aligned with the hinge line 18 of the flap 17. The latter is accordingly bendable along hinge line 18 into overlapping relation to the surface of the panel 11 for attachment thereto by the application of a suitable adhesive or other fastening means to establish a fixed connection between the flap 17 and the surface of the rear panel 10 overlapped thereby. When the panels 10 and 11 are thus joined by the side panels 12 and 15, the blank presents a collapsible unit suitable for shipment and storage in a flat state pending such Bflldflifi Patented Jan. 23, 1962 time as the blank is finally assembled and set up for packaging use with the panels defining a tubular body of rectangular transverse cross-sectional contour.

The rear panel 10 is divided along a transverse extending hinge line 19 at a distance from the lower edge thereof greater than the dimension of each side panel measured lengthwise of said hinge line to provide a bottom section 20. The front panel 11 is divided along a transverse extending cut 21 in alignment with the hinge line 19 to provide a bottom section 22. Each side panel 12 and 15 is likewise divided by an extension of said cut 21 to form a bottom section 23 and 24. A cut 25 extending downwardly from the cut 21 along each hinge line 14 and 16 a distance equal to the dimension of the side panel measured along the transverse cut 21 likewise separates a portion of the bottom section 22 from said bottom section 23 and 24 to define a flap 21 having entrance to the area between the side panels as the bottom sections 26, 22, 23 and 24 are bent a quarter-turn upwardly and forwardly of rear panel 10 about the hinge line 19 as an axis. A hinge line 28, dividing the flap 26 from the bottom section 22, permits the tab 26 to be folded rearwardly and downwardly into a position coplanar with the plane of front panel 11 The fiap is cut to define securing tabs 29 and 3t bendable about the hinge line 28 and designed,

to enter and have interlocking engagement with slots 31 and 32, respectively, in the front panel 11 to retain the bottom sections 20, 22, 23 and 24 in quarter-turned set-up position as shown in FIGS. 3 and .5. Each of the bottom sections 23 and 24 are preferably cut to present a mitered edge 33 extending downwardly from the transverse cut 21 to the hinge line 28 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. The forwardly facing open area defined by the bottom sections 20, 22, 23 and 24 is closed by a front section 34 forming an extension of the bottom section 22 and is fo-ldable downwardly about a transversely extending hinge 35 between the section 22 and said front section 34. When thus folded upwardly, front section 34 is held in closing position by tabs 36 and 37 forming hinged extensions of the bottom sections 23 and 24 respectively and presenting edges with which a hinged extension 38 of the front section 34 has abutment when said tabs 36 and 37 and said extension 38 are tucked into position against the inner surfaces of the bottom sections 20, 23 and 24 opposite thereto. It will be apparent that when the bottom sections 20, 22, 23 and 24 are thus set up that the lower surface of the bottom section 20 provides a supporting base of suflicient area to maintain the panels 10, 11, 12 and 15 in upright position, and that the upper face of the bottom section 22 provides a ledge in forwardly projecting relation to the front panel 11 at the lower edge of the latter. 7

The panel 11 is also divided by a transverse hinge line 39 to provide a top section 40 foldable in the direction of the rear panel 10 to close the open area defined by the upper limits of the side walls 12 and 15 and the panels 10 and 11. It will be observed from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the rear panel 10 extends upwardly of a horizontal plane through the hinge line 39 and that the top section 40, when in closing position, presents an upwardly and rearwardly inclined wall across the area defined by the upper limits of the side panels 12 and 15 and the front and rear panels 11 and 11. In accordance with this arrangement of the top section 40, tabs 41 and 42 forming extensions of the side panels 12 and 15 respectively are foldable in wardly along hinge lines of corresponding rearward and upward inclination to form underlying shoulders engageable by the surface of the top section 40 opposite thereto when the latter is in closing position. the top section 4t? along a line coincident with the upper edge of the rear panel 10, is foldable downwardly against- 3 and locking tabs 45 forming extensions of the flap 44 have entrance to and interlocking engagement with matching slots 46 in the rear panel to fasten the flap 44 and thereby secure top section 40 against withdrawal from a closing position.

A separate stiffening member is preferably disposed between the front and rear panels of the display unit to prevent inward buckling of the walls of said unit. This member, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a unitary sheet of relatively stifi cardboard or other suitable material bent along parallel lines 46 and 47 spaced apart transversely thereof to provide rearwardly extending wings 48 and 49 respectively with which the inner surfaces of the side panels 12 and opposite thereto have engagement. The area of the stiffening member extending between the wings 48 and 49 has engagement with the inner surface of the front panel 10 of the display unit along the faces of a pair of end panels 50 and 51 and has engagement with the inner surface of the rear panel 11 of the display unit along the face of an intermediate panel 52 which is joined in offset relation to the panels 50 and 51 by means of hinged connecting wings 53 and 54. Wing 54 is joined to panel 52 along hinge lines 55 and 56 arranged in spaced parallel relation to the hinge 47 and extending the full distance between the upper and lower limits of the stiffening member. As shown in FIG. 2, wing 53 is intersected by transverse cuts 57 and 58 formed in the stilfening member at spaced apart positions lengthwise of the distance between upper and lower limits of the member to form an upper wing section, a lower wing section and a middle wing section. Hinge lines 59 and 60 joining the upper wing section to the end panel 50 and intermediate panel 52 are spaced apart in uniformity with distance between hinge lines 55 and 56. Similarly spaced hinge lines 59 and 60 joining the middle wing section to the end panel 50 and intermediate panel 52 are displaced from hinge lines 59 and 60 in the direction of panel 52 while similarly spaced hinge lines 59 and 60 joining the lower wing section to the end panel 50 and panel 52 are also displaced from hinge lines 59 and 60 in the direction of the panel 52. Due to such deviation in the hinge lines joining the upper, lower and middle sections of wing 53 to the panels 50 and 52, said lower sections of wing 53 presents an upwardly facing edge in alignment with slots 61 formed in the area of front panel 10 of the display unit, and the middle section of wing 53 presents a forwardly facing stop in forwardly offset relation to the corresponding surface of the upper section of wing 53, for purposes more particularly referred to hereinafter. The lower edge of the stiff ening member has engagement with the inner surface of the bottom of the display surface along the lower edges of the wings 48 and 49 intermediate panel 52, wings 53 and 54 and panels 50 and 51 except for notches 62 and 63 respectively formed in the latter to provide clearance for the portions of the securing tabs 29 and projecting inwardly through the associated slots 31 and 32 in the front panel of the display unit. The upper edges of the wings '53 and 54 are cut along a line conforming to the upwardly and rearwardly inclined closed position of the top of the display unit. The panels and 51 are provided with upward extensions 64 which are bent about a hinge line 65 coincident with the hinge 39 of the top 39 into a rearwardly and upwardly inclined plane across the area between the front and rear panels 10 and 11 of the display unit in coplanar relation to the upper edges of the wings 53 and 54 whereby the latter and said extensions 50 and 51 provide surfaces engageable by the inner surface of the top 40 to resist inward buckling of said top 40.

As indicated by way of dotted lines in FIG. 3, the display unit is particularly adapted for supporting a hang-up rack in a position wherein the rack also aids in anchoring a set of kitchen tools on the display unit while said rack and tools are displayed as a unit simulating the appearance of such unit when in an environment of actual use by the consumer. To this end slots 66 formed in the front panel 11 of the display unit cooperate with registering notches 67 formed in the stiffening member to form sockets for receiving and trapping inwardly turned wings 68 of a hang-up rack 69 whereby the rack 69 is positioned along a line suitably downwardly spaced relation to the top 40. Suitable projections, such as hooks 70, fixed to and extending forwardly from the rack 69 in suitably spaced apart arrangement lengthwise of the rack 69 each have entry to a suitable hang-up eyelet in the handle of a kitchen tool, such as the tools shown in FIG. 3, so as to provide a support from which the tools may be suspended as shown. The tool positioned third from the left in FIG. 3 includes a masher blade portion 71 at its lower end which is adapted to have rearward edgewise entry in the slot 61 of the front panel 11 and the transverse cut 58 in the stiffening panel with which the slot- 61 is aligned, whereby said blade portion is trapped in a relatively fixed position against the upper edge of lower wing section 53' and the surface of the stiffening member defined by the middle section of wing 53. The tool positioned fourth from the left in FIG. 3 includes a blade portion 72 of such length as to have downward edgewise entry in a slot 73 formed in the upwardly facing bottom section 22.

As thus assembled, the display unit, having the rack and tools supported thereon as shown in FIG. 3, may be enclosed by a suitable wrapper such as the cover member 74 shown in FIG. 4. This cover may be lifted on or off the display unit via an opening in the bottom of the cover through which the unit is slidable when the cover is removed from or applied to the display unit.

What is claimed is:

1. A merchandise packaging assembly including a collapsible tubular display unit, said unit having a front panel and a rear panel and a pair of side panels to which said front and rear panels are joined for collective movement between a collapsed position and 'an erected position wherein said panels define a hollow body of rectangular cross section, a base for supporting said walls in upright position, said base including a bottom section to which said rear panel is joined by a transverse hinge, said bottom section being of such dimension as to extend in forwardly projecting relation to said front panel when bent about said hinge into a position in angularly forwardly extending relation to said rear panel, 'a separate stiffening member interposed between said front and rear panels, said stiffening member including a pair of side panels with which the inner surface of the front panel of the display unit is engageable, and an intermediate panel offset rearwardly of said side panels of the stiffening member for engagement with the inner surface of the rear panel of the display unit, said intermediate panel and said side panels being joined by connecting wings along spaced apart hinge lines parallel to the hinge lines about which the panels of the display unit are joined for collective movement, said display unit having a top panel hinged thereto for closing the space defined by the upper limits of said front, rear "and side panels of the display unit, said side panels of the stiffening member having upward extensions hinged thereto for movement to a position coplanar with the upper limits of said connecting wings to provide surfaces with which the top panel of the display unit is engageable to resist inward buckling of said top panel and the upper limits of said panels of the display unit.

2. A merchandise packaging assembly including a collapsible tubular display unit, said unit having a front panel and a rear panel and a pair of side panels to which said front and rear panels are joined for collective movement between a collapsed position and an erected position wherein said panels define a hollow body of rectangular cross section, a base for supporting said walls in upright position, said base including a bottom section to which said rear panel is joined by a transverse hinge, said bottom section being of such dimension as to extend in forwardly projecting relation to said front panel when bent about said hinge into a position in angularly forwardly extending relation to said rear panel, a separate stiffening member interposed between said front and rear panels, said stiffening member including a pair of side panels with which the inner surface of the front panel of the display unit is engageable, and an intermediate panel offset rearwardly of said side panels of the stiffening memher for engagement with the inner surface of the rear panel of the display unit, said intermediate panel and said side panels being joined by connecting wings along spaced apart hinge lines parallel to the hinge lines about which the panels of the display unit are joined for collective movement, one of said connecting wings having a transverse cut to define a lower section and a second section above said lower section, said lower section being joined to the panels of the stiffening member connected thereby along spaced parallel hinge lines in such deviating relation to the hinge lines between the second section of the connecting wings and said panels of the stiffening member joined thereby as to define an upwardly facing edge extending in forwardly offset relation to said intermediate panel, and a slot in the front panel of the display unit in alignment with said upwardly facing edge of the connecting wing section.

3. A merchandise packaging assembly including a collapsible tubular display unit, said unit having a front panel and a rear panel and a pair of side panels to which said front and rear panels are joined for collective movement between a collapsed position and an erected position wherein said panels define a hollow body of rectangular cross section, a base for supporting said walls in upright position, said base including a bottom section to which said rear panel is joined by a transverse hinge, said bottom section being of such dimension as to extend in forwardly projecting relation to said front panel when bent about said hinge into a position in angularly forwardly extending relation to said rear panel, a separate stiffening member interposed between said front and rear panels, said stiffening member including a pair of side panels with which the inner surface of the front panel of the display unit is engageable, and an intermediate panel offset rearwardly of said side panels of the stiffening member for engagement with the inner surface of the rear panel of the display unit, said intermediate panel and said side panels being joined by connecting wings along spaced apart hinge lines parallel to the hinge lines about which the panels of the display unit are joined for collective movement, said front and rear panels having the upper limits thereof along spaced parallel lines parallel to the hinged connection between the rear panel and said bottom section with the upper limits of the rear panel offset upwardly from the upper limits of the front panel, and a top panel hinged to said display unit along a line defining the upper limits of one of said front and rear panels for closing the space between said upper limits of said front and rear panels, said side panels of the display unit having upper edge portions in coplanar relation to the inclination of the top panel when closing the space between said front and rear panels, said connecting wings of the stiffening member having upper edge portions which cooperate with upper extensions hinged to the side panels of the stiffening member for movement to a position coplanar with the upper edge portions of the side panels of the display unit to present surfaces with which the top panel of the display unit is engageable when said top panel is in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,788,082 Byrnes Jan. 6, 1931 2,019,250 Collins Oct. 29, 1935 2,253,008 Anderson Aug. 19, 1941 2,670,126 Frankenstein Feb. 23, 1954 2,771,188 Coulter Nov. 20, 1956 

